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Man sues firearm company after leg is amputated
By KATHY THOMPSON
Staff Writer
ZANESVILLE - A Zanesville man is hoping his attorney will be able to convince a Muskingum County jury that the single-action revolver he was wearing was defective and caused him to lose his right leg.
Robert Taylor, 51, purchased the Freedom Arms Model 83 .454 Casull revolver from One Stop Sportsmen Shop in July 1997. That business no longer sells firearms and is not involved in the lawsuit that is being heard this week.
Taylor was wearing the revolver in a holster when he was visiting Wyoming in 2003, according to the complaint. The gun discharged as Taylor was pulling back the long duster he was wearing, the bullet ripping into his right leg in the back near the knee and exiting through his bone below the knee in the front of his leg.
Taylor had to have his leg amputated from the wound, according to court records.
"It snap fired," said Taylor's Wyoming attorney, Kent Spence, on Wednesday.
According to testimony by a firearms and design expert Tom Butters, of Texas, the transfer bar in the revolver did not work correctly.
Butters told jurors there was not a proper internal safety device in the revolver or it would not have been able to snap fire if the safety was on.
Butters testified for several hours Wednesday showing videos and explaining slides to jurors. Butters is expected to continue his testimony today. The trial is scheduled for the rest of this week and next week.
"We're here to get justice for Bobby," Spence said.
But, John Renzulli, an attorney from New York representing Freedom Arms Inc. and company president, Bob Baker, said the revolver is "a well made, reliable single action revolver that is not defective."
The gun is manufactured for hunting medium to large game, such as cape buffalo or lions, and serious silhouette competition.
"This gun is very reliable with a durable safety," Renzulli said. "This particular incident occurred because Mr. Taylor did not learn the function of the gun or read the manual."
Renzulli said he is confident the jury will find no reason to find a judgment for Taylor.
"Freedom Arms promotes gun safety and encourages all firearm users to learn the function of whatever gun they purchase and to read the owners manual before using the gun," Renzulli said.
Trial resumes today at the Muskingum County Courthouse in Common Pleas Judge Mark Fleegle's courtroom.
http://zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070517/NEWS01/705170304/1002
By KATHY THOMPSON
Staff Writer
ZANESVILLE - A Zanesville man is hoping his attorney will be able to convince a Muskingum County jury that the single-action revolver he was wearing was defective and caused him to lose his right leg.
Robert Taylor, 51, purchased the Freedom Arms Model 83 .454 Casull revolver from One Stop Sportsmen Shop in July 1997. That business no longer sells firearms and is not involved in the lawsuit that is being heard this week.
Taylor was wearing the revolver in a holster when he was visiting Wyoming in 2003, according to the complaint. The gun discharged as Taylor was pulling back the long duster he was wearing, the bullet ripping into his right leg in the back near the knee and exiting through his bone below the knee in the front of his leg.
Taylor had to have his leg amputated from the wound, according to court records.
"It snap fired," said Taylor's Wyoming attorney, Kent Spence, on Wednesday.
According to testimony by a firearms and design expert Tom Butters, of Texas, the transfer bar in the revolver did not work correctly.
Butters told jurors there was not a proper internal safety device in the revolver or it would not have been able to snap fire if the safety was on.
Butters testified for several hours Wednesday showing videos and explaining slides to jurors. Butters is expected to continue his testimony today. The trial is scheduled for the rest of this week and next week.
"We're here to get justice for Bobby," Spence said.
But, John Renzulli, an attorney from New York representing Freedom Arms Inc. and company president, Bob Baker, said the revolver is "a well made, reliable single action revolver that is not defective."
The gun is manufactured for hunting medium to large game, such as cape buffalo or lions, and serious silhouette competition.
"This gun is very reliable with a durable safety," Renzulli said. "This particular incident occurred because Mr. Taylor did not learn the function of the gun or read the manual."
Renzulli said he is confident the jury will find no reason to find a judgment for Taylor.
"Freedom Arms promotes gun safety and encourages all firearm users to learn the function of whatever gun they purchase and to read the owners manual before using the gun," Renzulli said.
Trial resumes today at the Muskingum County Courthouse in Common Pleas Judge Mark Fleegle's courtroom.
http://zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070517/NEWS01/705170304/1002
